Insignia NS-HD01 is the first portable digital radio and it comes with an armband. Get the details and order from our site at EZDigitalTV.com

Information about Digital Radio (HD Radio)

The Alex e-book reader from Spring Design
Photo: Spring Design

Announced the same day as the Nook last fall, and sharing a combination of a six-inch e-ink screen above a smaller touch LCD screen, the Alex e-book reader bears an uncanny resemblance to Barnes & Noble's e-book reader. (FYI, Spring Design, which makes the Alex, is suing B&N for "misappropriating trade secrets.")

The Alex is expected to launch in February at a cost of $400, which is markedly higher than the Nook's $259 price tag. And the respective performance of these dual-screen rivals? Based on using the Alex at the Consumer Electronics Show, the device does appear to have some navigation pluses over the Nook.

Its touch screen is squarer than the one on the Nook, and seemed a little more responsive in my demo. As on the Nook, there are turn buttons on each side of the main screen for changing pages. But the Alex adds another way to navigate that's among the faster ways I've seen to advance in a book, especially when you don't have a particular page or chapter in mind. It's a slide control, much like those sometimes employed to help advance through a song or video.

Where the Nook omitted a Web browser—because those that can be installed on an e-book reader are so frustrating, B&N says—the Alex boasts one. (Time limitations, and the broadband-access challenges at CES, prevented me from fairly judging the browser's performance.) You can access content, from the Web or your library, via the lower screen and then bump it up to the main screen for a bigger, if monochromatic, view.The Alex will be among the first devices to use the new Borders e-book library, it was announced at CES.

It also appears the Alex will, at least initially, more fully exploit the Android OS it shares with the Nook, offering the likes of Gmail access out of the box. Indeed, reflecting that OS, the home screen of the Alex's LCD closely resembles that of some smart phones.

Unfortunately, side-by-side comparison of the Alex and other devices I had with me at CES, suggests the device shares a key performance drawback with the Nook: Page turns that are on the slow side. And despite its high price tag, the Alex will launch with only Wi-fi wireless access; Spring Design says it's shopping for a wireless carrier and will launch a 3G version later in the year.

—Paul Reynolds.

Combing through hundreds of blog posts and news articles daily, Dirk Klingner, our technology-trend watcher, sifts through the noise to bring you the tech news most important to consumers. If you have a tip on a story you want to share, leave a comment below.

Optimized Search Suggestions using your location (Google Mobile Blog)

Typing a query into the search box on a phone can often be slow and difficult. For this reason, relevant search suggestions that match your intended query can meaningfully reduce the time and effort it takes to submit a search. Today in the US, we are happy to announce an improvement to Google.com search suggestions offered on Android powered devices and iPhone. Now, Google will offer suggestions based on the phone's current or last location, making the suggestions more relevant.

Zagat Releases First Cellphone Carrier Survey Results (Consumerist)

Zagat, the popular consumer feedback-based restaurant review guide, now reviews wireless carriers as well, and they've released rankings on the four national carriers. The company surveyed 2,319 wireless consumers and then created Zagat-style scores in a variety of categories. Here are some of the highlights.

Hallmark brings augmented reality to the masses this Valentine's Day (BizReport)

…But now, mainstream stores will carry a selection of greeting cards laced with augmented reality which simply require a computer, or mobile, equipped with a webcam to view them in their full glory. The cards, produced by Hallmark, a company celebrating its 100th birthday this year, shows the forward-looking nature of a business that has kept up with many changes over the last century.

Microsoft admits Explorer used in Google China hack (BBC)

…"Based upon our investigations, we have determined that Internet Explorer was one of the vectors used in targeted and sophisticated attacks against Google and possibly other corporate networks," said Microsoft's director of security response Mike Reavey in the post.

Glasses-Tattooed-on-Face Vid was Ray-Ban's Doing (AgencySpy)

…In it, a dude gets glasses tattooed on his face, which seems dumb. At the end he puts on a pair of Ray-Bans (but you can barely see the logo), which should have been an obvious cue. It was, we just missed it and now we feel dumber than usual. Oh well, Adverblog wins.

Universities drop Kindle over lack of access for the blind (ComputerWorld)

Three U.S. universities will stop promoting the use of Amazon.com's Kindle DX e-book reader in classrooms after complaints that the device doesn't give blind students equal access to information. Settlements with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Pace University in New York City and Reed College in Portland, Oregon, were announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Droid more valuable than Nexus One or iPhone 3GS according to iSuppli (Engadget)

…According to iSuppli's analysis, Droid brings a $187.75 bill of materials that breaks down into $179.11 worth of components and $8.64 in manufacturing costs.

Lighter Side: 5-Year-Olds Are More Coordinated Than You (BuzzFeed)